Young Love Kills
by CharlieMichelle
Summary: When Danny gets hurt in some freak hockey accident and doesn't tell Riley she gets the impression that she's done something to lose his friendship. Of course after a well needed heart to heart they realize that's not the case at all. DannyXRiley. Au.


**A/N: Whoa, first fic in the Baby Daddy verse. Hope you all like it, I mean it's kind of out of character because I was really trying but then it hit three in the morning. So... oops. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Baby Daddy! **

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There were many things that Riley disliked, she disliked sweating at the gym, she disliked the creepy old man that would scan up and down her body every morning on her way to work, but she most importantly hated not knowing what was happening in Danny Wheeler's life. They were best friends, for a very good reason, she may add so how could he not mention this? The fact that he's holed up in the hospital for who knows how long because of a freak hockey accident and didn't tell her really made her feel awful. It had her guessing herself, had she become so self-centered that he thought she didn't care? Was it because of the distance she's placed between herself and Ben? Was that part of the reason? She just couldn't understand.

She had stood by the door for five minutes, contemplating whether or not to go in. She could make up two other voices in there, she had hoped they would be Bonnie and Tucker but she was almost positive that the soft giggle –how she hated the soft giggle, was indeed not from Bonnie or Tucker. Multiple times she had gripped the door handle and every single time she had talked herself into letting go. After the thirtieth repetitive of gripping and letting go of the handle she decided pacing up and down the hallway would do her some good. Yeah, some good, she could walk off the anxiety from being in the hospital (not that she had a real reason to hate hospitals but, ew hospitals). Until a nurse had called her over; "Miss are you looking for a room?"

Riley had slapped her hands against her thighs; "Am I looking for a room?" she repeated twice to herself, "no I'm not, I'm just… I was just going." The nurse looked somewhat convinced and offered to show her the way out, Riley would be offended later but at the moment she would send one more look towards Danny's room.

She spent the rest of the night at her apartment wallowing in regret and self-pity, except she definitely would deny the self-pity part. When the next day rolled around and her boss had sent her home early; Riley could have easily doubled as an actress, her mind was set. She was visiting Danny Wheeler if it killed her; her mind was in full determination mode until she got into the hospital and onto his floor. "Excuse me, but is there a reason you're wandering this hall… again?"

"I'm visiting a friend this time." The nurse nodded skeptically before she looked down at her work again. "I mean, I'm not really sure why I'm nervous, we're best friends he would visit me if I were in the hospital."

"I'm sure he would, who is your friend again?"

"It's not just that though, I mean, this has just unraveled all sorts of confusing feelings. What if I go in there and say something stupid?" Riley completely ignored the nurse as she leaned against the large desk and began to talk. The nurse looked panicked for a second before she slowly slid out from behind the desk. "Hey, wait, I'm not done confiding in you!"

"I have work that needs to be done. Good luck." Riley let out a puff of breath as the nurse hurried away. So much for having an anonymous unbiased opinion, well clearly she wasn't getting that. She shook her head and cleared her mind and made her way back towards Danny's room.

She thought about Danny, being immobilized in a hospital bed, being hooked up to a bunch of monitors and loud scary things that Riley had no knowledge about. She thought about the only other time they were both in a hospital, the kiss (the amazing and heartfelt kiss) that never happened according to them. She thought about the one time she was in the hospital, Appendicitis, landed her in the hospital for almost two weeks (because an allergic reaction to the medicine was just what she needed) and Danny never once left.

She knocked twice before she pushed the door open; "Hey Danny."

He looked up from his tablet, well Tucker's tablet actually because Danny didn't really do technology. "Uh Riley… what, what are you doing here?"

"Visiting you obviously, how are you feeling?"

"I'm great, feeling great, looking great; doc says I'll be out in no time, because everything's great." Danny had silently thanked whatever was out there that he was taken off of the heart monitor two days prior to the visit. He hoped she couldn't tell how incredibly awkward he was laid up in a hospital bed.

"That's… great!" Riley said, she tried hard to sound sincerely enthusiastic, but it proved difficult. Danny had never once acted awkward around her, not when she had first announced (embarrassing story) she had her period for the first time, or the when she had walked in on him and his college girlfriend going at it like rabbits on the sofa. It almost made her feel, unwelcome.

Danny hadn't noticed the way her face fell, only slightly of course, but he noticed how rigid she got while she stood awkwardly in front of the door. "So, uh, who told you I was in here?"

That was another thing that stung, no one had told Riley. "I heard about it through the sports report." She wouldn't mention that she then badgered his mother into giving all of her information. "I'm sorry I hadn't been around before today."

"It's no biggie!" Danny quickly laughed and waved his arms around; "It's been a little hectic anyway, what with my mom and Ben being here."

"Well I'm glad that they visit you." Why didn't you want me to know, ran through her head but it wasn't the time to ask that question. "So, how long do you think you'll be here?"

Danny doesn't quite pick up on her insecurity; he doesn't notice how she grips her upper arm and starts to shrink back. Mostly it's because he hasn't seen her do that since high school, so it's completely missed, but it's partially because she shouldn't be here. He made his mother promise, he made Tucker promise, he made Ben promise, and he made his _mother _promise. There was just no reasonable explanation as to why she was standing at the threshold of the hospital room at this very second.

"Danny?" He was pulled from his thoughts to hear her soft voice float over the buzz of the hospital. She was biting her lip and how badly he wanted to scold her because damaging those lips should be illegal.

"Yeah, sorry, still a little tired," instead he opts for playing ignorance –especially because he didn't catch her original question.

Riley just nods her head and apologizes as sincerely as she can; "I'll just let you rest then, feel better, yeah?"

He just nodded as she backed out; he didn't want her to leave in fact that was the last thing he wanted from her. Those were all things he couldn't say though, those were things that weren't allowed because she loved Ben and he had to accept that. He had to start living his life for what it was with or without her, although if he was honest with himself he'd know that she would never flat out leave his life. They were best friends!

What he didn't know was that Riley stood just passed his door with her hands pressed to her face. What he didn't know was that Riley had scolded herself silently for going where she wasn't welcome and disturbing him, which she was apparently good at. What he didn't know was that the words Amy had said to her (Danny's problem wasn't his mother, it was _Riley_) had stuck with her. Even though Amy hadn't been in Danny's life for months, and yeah Riley should have pulled her head out of the sky sooner, she should have known how things would have ended with Ben _sooner_. She didn't though and Danny had no idea she was against the wall with her face in her hands practicing the breathing mantras she taught herself when school became too much.

Three days later Danny found himself on the sofa shared in the apartment of himself, Tucker and Ben. It was day two of being home and on mandatory rest and so far he's managed to watch repeat episodes of Boy Meets World for three straight hours without questioning what he was doing while Emma gurgled happily in her play pen. He would be restricted from practice for two weeks and after that who knew how many games he'd miss.

Serious damage to the muscles of his shoulder would do that, as Bonnie had politely put it. He admitted to himself that the down time would be good. He could bond with his niece (who was a one year old) and maybe even catch up on some of his more personal hobbies. Not that he could actually think of any hobby, he supposed that would be ok in the long run. It was nearing five in the evening when Tucker came bursting through the door announcing how his day at work had been successful for multiple reasons, three of which included the newest member of the production team who happened to be an amazing blonde with a killer smile.

"How was your day bro?" Tucker asked as he grabbed himself a beer.

"It was awesome!" Tucker didn't look convinced, Danny didn't blame him. "To be fair I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with this down time."

"Uh, dude, down time means go out and find hot chicks who pity the injured hockey star." Tucker said with exasperation, obviously it was the simplest solution out there. "What else is there?"

"I don't know man, I just…"

When Danny didn't finish his sentence Tucker knew what he was getting at. "You could call Riley; she's been pretty out of it."

Danny rolled his eyes, because Riley only becomes 'out of it' when Ben Wheeler was involved and no other reason. "No really." Tucker insisted, "She just seems, so not Riley."

"Well I'm sure it has nothing to do with me, besides she's busy with the firm. I don't want her skipping out on her dream job because of a minor injury."

Danny knew it was a bull shit reason before Tucker let out a snort from his spot at the counter. "Yeah because it's not like she could be worried about you or anything."

"Well why would she be worried?"

"You're kidding right?" Danny moved his good arm around to show that no he was not kidding and he'd love for Tucker to disprove whatever theory that was running through his mind. "She's like your best friend, why wouldn't she be worried?"

Danny just shrugged with his good shoulder and went back to whatever it was he was watching. A show on MTV probably, he didn't know. After a few awkward moments he stood and said he needed to lay down for a bit, because thinking about Riley made him tired. Thinking about a worried Riley made him exhausted.

When he had reappeared a few hours later the blonde that plagued his thoughts was seated at the counter with a bottle of beer. She looked as exhausted as he felt, but she seemed to be pouring her heart out to Tucker. Ben would pipe in occasionally with some piece of information, but in light of certain situations Danny knew she'd just ignore him. "Hey look who it is!"

Tucker and Riley had both managed to find Danny's eye at the same time and it was only a matter of seconds before Ben and Tucker had packed Emma up and made excuses of places they had to be. That left Riley and Danny in an awkward silence while she played with her beer bottle.

"I guess I should head out." She said, he noticed how small she seemed and that just wasn't Riley.

"You don't have to." Danny offered easily, motioned with his good arm for her to stay. "Sorry if I interrupted something."

"You weren't, not really." When did things become so awkward between them? Riley couldn't seem to find an actual reason as to why it was like this. She couldn't even focus on what he was saying, all she could focus on how she couldn't lose him. She refused to lose him and maybe it had taken her years to realize but the point was that she did and if it was too late, then so be it. Then all at once it was like she couldn't breathe because it was so obvious.

"Riley." She looked up startled because Danny was trying to get her attention, not like it was the first time, and not for the first time in the last week had she felt completely unworthy to be in his life. "Are you ok?"

She bit the inside of her cheek, "Why didn't you want me to know you were in the hospital?"

Well that was not he had expected from her. "Uh, because I figured you had enough going on."

She nodded slowly, "Right, because I wouldn't have wanted to know. It's not like you're my best friend or anything, it's not like we've been there for each other for _everything _and it's not like I literally froze when I saw that you were injured on ESPN."

"You watch ESPN?" Danny asked perplexed, because ESPN was not Riley. Sports were not Riley.

She looked so wounded when he asked that, her eyes all wide her lips pulled up in this frown that was just not right on her. "I'm sorry, for whatever it was I did, I'm sorry."

"What?" Danny asked, because she didn't do anything, she couldn't do anything wrong at all. "No, Riley, it's nothing like that, ok? I just didn't want you worrying about me."

"But why?" She let out a loud sigh as she rested her forehead in her hands. "Never mind, I just… I hope you feel better Danny." She pulled her head up and moved off her stool to grab her bag. For a moment she had expected Danny to simply let her leave. She didn't expect for him to demand she sit down and listen. She conceded, only because she wanted everything to be ok between them, she wanted to be able to crawl into his side and snuggle next to him because that's what made her safe. She'd give anything to just prove that and have that with him. She had already professed her love of him to herself at least three times.

That had been what she was discussing with Tucker, although they used code language because Ben was just _relentless _and it drove her crazy. "Alright, talk Danny."

"I don't actually know what to say…" She just raised an eyebrow, because that was just Danny, adorable and slightly behind the rest of the world Danny.

"I just want to know why you didn't think I'd care. Clearly that's the only reason you didn't want to tell me and I know I've been distant lately but that had nothing to do with you. I had some real thinking to do and…" she didn't realize that her eyes had started to water until he had whispered her name. "When did things get so complicated?"

He had managed to get closer to her and used his good hand to pat her shoulder, and then moves to rest at her collar. "Riley, I never once thought you wouldn't care. I've just had a lot on my mind…"

"And I distract you."

"What? No! No that's not… where did you hear that?"

Riley met his eye and sniffed while she let her opposing hand grip his, because she could and she would. "Amy… a while ago, in the locker room, she only wanted what was best for you and then before I knew it I was jealous because she had known what was best for you and it didn't include _me_." She leans back against the sofa and shakes her head. "How selfish does that sound?"

"Incredibly." He answered honestly, but he didn't miss the way she bit at her lip and nodded. "It doesn't matter though, because if Amy was right it wasn't for long. Riley, you're the most important person to me and Amy couldn't change that. I love you, you know?"

Riley smiled sweetly at him, and he thought it'd end with their usual. She'd coo at him and say she loved him too but instead just sits up. "I don't know what I was looking for when I was with Fitch and I don't even know why I wanted to _try _with Ben after everything. I was jealous of Amy because she had you in ways I would never, then you were hurt and it was like I was cut out. I thought maybe if I had admitted it out loud sooner that wouldn't have happened."

Danny raised one eyebrow, "Realized what?"

"I love _you _Danny Wheeler. I love you and it's been forever, but now it's a different type of love." Danny just looks at her and for a moment Riley wonders if she's looked too much into it all but then she's leaning across and kissing him.

He doesn't get to enjoy the moment her lips touch his because he isn't expecting it, but before she can pull away fully he uses his good hand to drag her back in. Then it's like fire and gasoline, it's like an explosion goes off around them but it's just tranquil and peaceful and it was never like this with Amy. It was never just right with anyone else. Then after what seems like forever and they're pulling apart and the smile he fell in love with is just there and it's radiant and it's because of him.

"So is this…?"

Riley just laughs and snuggles into his good side, because she can and because he's ok. As the night wears on she admits how worried she was and how she couldn't focus knowing that he hadn't wanted her around and he assures her that it wasn't what she had thought. She starts to doze a few minutes later, because apparently she had lost enough sleep to do that, and he's leading her to his room. She's in his t-shirt and they're in bed and her heads on his chest and it's peaceful. And it's the first time he's just laid in his bed with someone without having to _do _anything.

It's a few minutes later when Riley nuzzles into his chest and practically purrs with comfort that he runs his hand through her short hair. He's maneuvering her so she rests under his chin on his good side so she doesn't hurt his shoulder. He's placed light kisses along her hairline and the top of her head. In the morning when they both surface from the room, shyly and completely unaware of anyone else around them it's Bonnie who brings it to attention.

"As happy as I am, and really I'm ecstatic, there will be _no _more grandchildren. Wait a year or ten."

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**A/N: There you have it! Please share your thoughts, I have some ideas for future one shots. Obviously I ship Riley and Danny together so... not sorry for that at all. Hope you enjoyed! **


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